Reinforced steel beam and hybrid joist

ABSTRACT

The I-beam or joist is reinforced with corrugation on its web to form triangular pattern of trust structure. It can also reduce weight by punching holes in between corrugations. This not only reduce weight, but also provide space for utilities lines, which offer more overhead room, better architectural design, and lower construction cost.  
     The reinforced metal web is further employed in metal-wood hybrid joist with wood flanges, which is light in weight, provides space for utility lines, and also other materials like panels can be nailed to the flanges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] There are numerous kinds of Heavy Weight Steel Beam and LightWeight Floor Joist being used in building constructions.

[0002] First, existing Heavy Weight Steel Beams are strong enough tosupport dead load and live load of the building, but required manycolumns near the ground level because of their own weight. Also theheavier and higher level weight of them is very disadvantageous in caseof earthquake. Reducing building weight is very important for lowercost, structural strength and better safety against earthquake.

[0003] Second, There are Light Weight Joists for wood construction,typically trust joist and solid web joist. Trust joists are usually usedfor light load such as roof and not strong enough to support floor load.Solid web joists are typically made of plywood web and wooden flangesand strong enough to support floor load. But they don't have any spacefor utility lines through so that workers have to drill the holes on theweb, and those holes weaken the structural strength resulting violationof local building codes sometimes.

[0004] Therefore, there is need for light weight beam or joist, which isstrong enough even with holes for utility lines.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to reinforce beam orjoist to obtain more strength. To obtain strength, the metal web of thebeam or joist is corrugated in oblique angle or combination of angles toform triangular patterns effecting trust structure on flat sheet panel.

[0006] Another objective is achieved by punching holes in betweencorrugations to reduce weight and provide space for utility linesthrough beam or joist that can save overhead room, enable betterarchitectural design and lower construction cost.

[0007] Further objective is to utilize this reinforced sheet metal webwith wooden flanges to produce light-weight, metal-wood hybrid joist.This hybrid joist offers great versatility since other materials likepanels can be nailed down onto wooden flanges.

BRIEF DESCRITION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of corrugation reinforced steel beam.

[0009]FIG. 1A is vertical section view taken along the line A in FIG. 1.

[0010]FIG. 1B is horizontal section view taken along the line B in FIG.1.

[0011]FIG. 2A and 2B are side elevation view of the beam showing variouspatterns of trust with combinations of angles and punched holes.

[0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of corrugation reinforced hybridjoist.

[0013]FIG. 3A is enlarged view of circled area A in FIG. 3 showing sideedge of the web.

[0014]FIG. 4 is enlarged vertical section view of the web joining in thegroove of flange with fishing-hook like spikes.

DETAILED DESCRITION OF PREFERED EMBODIMENT

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a beam is made of a pair of upper and lowerflanges 10 connected by web 20. The metal web 20 is pressed to formcorrugates 30 in sizes and numbers as per strength required. FIG. 1A isvertical section view of such corrugated beam taken along the line A inFIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is a horizontal section view of such corrugated beamtaken along line B in FIG. 1.

[0016] The corrugation 30 forms triangular pattern of trust structure onweb 20 by various combinations of angles as shown in FIG. 2A and 2B. Thepattern can be ‘W’ shaped trust pattern as shown in FIG. 2A or ‘N’shaped trust pattern as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0017] Holes 31, 32 can be punched on the flat spaces in betweencorrugations 30 in sizes and shapes as per engineering allows such astriangular shape 31 or round shape 32 to reduce weight and provideutility line space.

[0018] Metal-Wood hybrid joist has flange made of wood 11 as shown inFIG. 3, and having groove 12 routed in alignment of facing flange. Thesegrooves fit with the edge 21 of web 20, on which fishing-hook likespikes 22 are punched. FIG. 3A is enlarged view of circled area A inFIG. 3, showing details of the side edge of web 21 with spikes 22.

[0019] The side edge 21 of the web 20 is fitted into groove 12 of woodenflange 11 as shown in FIG. 4. The fishing-hook like spikes 22 are madealong the both side of side edge 21 of web 20, where the surfacecompletely fits inside the groove 12. The spikes 22 have shape of thorn,leaning to the direction toward the center of the web 20, thus easilypushed into the groove 12, but locked inside against the force to pullthem back just like fishing-hook.

[0020] Corrugated 30 and spiked 22 web then assembled with woodenflanges 11 by press or pressure rollers. The grooved joint 12 of the weband flange can be secured with glue.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structural member of beam, comprising; a pairof spaced flanges facing each other, connected with intervening webhaving substantially uniform thickness; repeating patterns ofcorrugation on the web intermediate the flanges in combination of angleswhich form triangular pattern of trust structure.
 2. A member inaccordance with claim 1, in which the corrugations are in alternatingoblique angles in opposite direction, which form ‘W’ shaped trustpattern.
 3. A member in accordance with claim 1, in which thecorrugations are in repeating combination of right angle and obliqueangles to longitudinal direction, which form ‘N’ shaped trust pattern.4. A member in accordance with claim 1, in which the web having punchedholes in between the corrugations.
 5. A member in accordance with claim1, in which the flanges are made of wood.
 6. A member in accordance withclaim 5, in which the wooden flanges each having groove extendinglongitudinally thereof in alignment of facing groove of the otherflange, as receptacle to the web.
 7. A member in accordance with claim6, in which the web has fishing-hook like spikes leaning to thedirection toward the center of the web on its side edges, which fit intoand lock in the groove of flange.
 8. A member in accordance with claim6, in which the web is fit into groove of the flange and secured withglue.
 9. A member in accordance with claim 6, in which the flanges aremade of veneer lumber.